Physical activity is one of the best ways to protect yourself against heart disease. What kind of exercise is best, and how much should you do? This is where people often become confused, since the recommendations sometimes vary. In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommended 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most (preferably all) days of the week; in 2002, the Institute of Medicine upped the ante by recommending 60 minutes of moderate activity every day for people who need to lose weight.

So what's best for you? The American Heart Association recommends aiming for 30 minutes or more of moderate activity per day as a good initial goal (and if you want to build up from there, all the better). Aerobic exercise, which employs large muscle groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion for prolonged periods of time, has long been considered the best type of exercise for the heart — but flexibility exercises (those that stretch muscles) and resistance exercises (which strengthen them) are also good. (For suggestions, see Examples of Moderate Activity, below) What follows is a quick guide to what constitutes a reasonable prescription for exercise.

Getting started. If you aren’t doing much physically, then mild exercise a few times a week will cut your heart disease risk in half. Even mild activity, like walking at a reasonable pace a few times a week, can make a big difference in the health of your blood vessels. Raising your heart rate and dilating arteries modestly can help to lower your blood pressure and prevent atherosclerosis. Start with 20- to 30-minute walks three days a week, then build up to 30 minutes or more nearly every day. If you feel chest pressure, lightheadedness, or marked shortness of breath, see your doctor right away. If not, get back out there!

Keep going. Daily exercise will help you to burn more calories, and that will have a whole range of beneficial health effects.

Pump up the volume. If you can do mild or moderate physical activities daily, start doing short bursts of more intense activity. You can walk five miles every day at the same slow clip, and you will burn plenty of calories, but you won’t really make your cardiovascular system much healthier. Research has shown that short bursts of intense activity — 30 to 60 seconds of really pushing yourself — takes the health of your blood vessels to a new level. If you walk for exercise, for instance, increase your pace, try a slow jog, or try walking in a pool (the water provides resistance, making you work harder). This type of moderate physical stress on the arteries helps to keep them younger.

Examples of Moderate Activity
Bicycle riding (leisurely pace)
Gardening
Golf (walking the course)
Housework
Mowing lawn (power mower)
Raking leaves
Swimming (slow pace)
Walking (3–4 miles per hour)